Vaccinium corymbosum Pink Bonbons- American Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Pink Bonbons' brings a touch of charm to the blueberry kingdom and to the orchard. This vigorous variety produces pink and cream berries that turn deep pink when fully ripe and have a sweet and sugary flavour similar to blackberries. They are borne by a compact bush that takes on magnificent purple colours in autumn. This variety is well suited for small spaces and container gardening and resistant to cold, it is easy to grow in non-chalky soil and requires little maintenance. In all blueberries, fruiting is more abundant if another variety is planted nearby.

Blueberry belongs to the Ericaceae family, like heather and rhododendrons. The highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), native to North America, is the one cultivated in gardens for its abundant and high-quality fruit. It is an extremely cold-resistant shrub, with deciduous foliage that falls in autumn. It is easy to grow in very acidic, non-chalky soil, in a partially shaded location, such as in the morning sun.

The 'Pink Bonbons' cultivar is an American horticultural creation. It forms a dense, spreading bush, reaching an average size of 1 m (3ft) in all directions. The leaves are 2 to 3 cm (1in) long, lanceolate, elliptical, entire, and toothed. They are dark green until summer, then turn yellow, orange, red, and purple in autumn. Flowering occurs in May, in the form of small white bell-shaped flowers with pink edges, measuring 0.5 to 1 cm (0in) long, arranged in pendant clusters 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) long at the tips of the stems. This is followed by numerous berries blending light pink and creamy yellow covered in bloom, slightly flattened and 1 cm (0in) in diameter, which ripen in July-August. Harvesting will be staggered according to the ripening of the fruit. Blueberries are firm and sweet, with a slightly acidic flavour. The yield is high, around 4 to 5 kg per plant under good conditions. Blueberries are low in calories but highly nutritious: they are rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, and iron. They contain pigments (anthocyanins) that improve night vision. Blueberries can be eaten fresh, in juice, jam, jelly, sorbet, or in pastries (pies, muffins...). The fruit can be stored for about ten days after picking and can be frozen for longer preservation.

The Pink Bonbons blueberry is self-fertile, but it will bear more fruit in the presence of another blueberry plant, either of the same variety or a different one. Plant Coville or Lateblue blueberry plants near it to ensure a good harvest. In ornamental gardens, the 'Pink Bonbons' blueberry is a truly charming shrub, which will blend in perfectly with acid soil beds, alongside rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, andromedas, heathers, Mayberry... It also grows very well in a large container: monitor watering (with non-alkaline water) and regularly feed your blueberry plant.